Waterbound Love - Chapter 13

Du Bai walked gracefully towards the pool table, as if she didn’t feel any pain. Qin Yulong couldn’t help but show a look of admiration.

The pink ball easily pocketed, Du Bai scored 60. The situation on the table was quite clear: only a seven-point red ball (black ball) remained. Whoever pockets it wins. The emotions of the audience were stirred up, instantly surging like a taut string. Qin Yulong found it hard to describe his feelings at this moment. He felt both admiration and hope-hoping that this time, like every game, she wouldn’t pocket the ball. Wei Qingqian, though not understanding why Du Bai wasn’t going for the red ball (black ball), couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful for the trouble he had caused as he watched her increasingly pale face and the bean-sized sweat on her forehead. He really wanted to know this woman’s secret; perhaps he hadn’t even realized yet that his curiosity was beyond mere interest.

Du Bai endured the discomfort in her eyes and the bouts of dizziness. Holding the cue in her left hand, she gathered all her strength and pressed down on her right leg. The wound from earlier began to seep fresh blood again due to the pressure, a faint hint of crimson lingering in the air. The pain in her leg, impossible to ignore, fought against the dizziness, stimulating her senses and keeping Du Bai alert. Once, just once, tell me I can do it. I can conquer this. I can face this reality.

“Bang!” The bright red hue of the ball rolled forward with the impact, slowly making its way towards the pocket. The arena was silent for a long moment. Du Bai’s thoughts were immersed in pure white light, so quiet that she could almost hear the rhythm of her own heartbeat. Only when the glaring red disappeared into the pocket did the hall erupt in cheers, but those vivid images were swallowed by darkness. Du Bai let out a sigh of relief and smiled softly. In this moment, her smile was genuine. It turned out, she could still do it. It turned out, everything wasn’t so far away.

Wei Qingqian, in his moment of joy, glanced back and saw Du Bai’s smile. He was somewhat stunned-this was a genuine smile, a warm smile. He touched his chest and felt his heartbeat, slightly irregular and suddenly sped up. Looking up, he met Du Bai’s unfocused eyes, and his heart seemed to explode with a “bang.” He ran to her side and supported her. Du Bai resisted for a moment, her eyes still staring blankly ahead.

“Don’t move, it’s me. What’s wrong?”

Du Bai recognized it was Wei Qingqian and stopped resisting, holding onto him and standing up with difficulty, trying hard to act as if nothing had happened.

Although losing to a woman was quite embarrassing, Qin Yulong was a man of honor. “Ms. Du, I lost. I, Qin Yulong, always keep my word when I’m out and about. Just say it, and I’ll let you decide my fate.”

Du Bai sneered inwardly. By saying this, others would feel too embarrassed to make things difficult for him.

“What if I want Hall Master Qin’s life?” Du Bai responded without hesitation, speaking calmly yet with words that were sharp and intimidating, making others believe in their authenticity.

“In this line of work, there’s no today or tomorrow. If you have the capability, keeping my life isn’t worthwhile.”

Du Bai slightly curled her lips. She could hear the hidden meaning in Qin Yulong’s words: if you have the ability, he’ll accept his fate, but if not, he’s not someone easy to deal with. She sneered inwardly, thinking, “I’m perfectly suited to dealing with someone like you.”

The surrounding area was suddenly noisy. A man in casual clothes walked over with a straight posture. His handsome and resolute face showed no expression but exuded a sense of coldness and dominance, making it hard to guess his intentions.

As the man calmly walked towards Du Bai, people around who recognized him as the “Peng House” owner quickly went to greet him, but he ignored them all. Speaking of the “Peng House” owner, not many knew his background, but they respected him.

“Du Bai, long time no see.” Chu Qian smiled slightly. As he spoke, he moved forward, intending to give her a hug, but Du Bai dodged. He wasn’t annoyed.

“Indeed, long time no see, Young Master Chu,” Du Bai said, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Chu Qian.

At this moment, Qin Yulong suddenly realized the full picture and felt a pang of regret. He knew who Young Master Chu was-a person even the Qing Gang leader would be wary of. Hearing that Du Bai was acquainted with such a figure, he started to sweat with worry about his own situation.

“Now I’m even more sure of one thing: it’s never a good thing to see Young Master Chu,” he muttered under his breath. A wave of dizziness struck him, and Du Bai collapsed, her last conscious sensation being falling into a warm embrace.

Du Bai mocked herself mentally, thinking, “Can it be any more clichéd? Every time I wake up, it’s in a hospital, just like a soap opera heroine. I’ve probably made as many hospital visits in this period as I will in the rest of my life.”

Looking around, she saw the fruit was acceptable, but the flowers made her laugh out loud.

“Is it that funny?” an annoyed voice piped up, successfully drawing Du Bai’s attention to Chu Qian’s presence.

“Young Master Chu, can’t you be any less clichéd? What kind of era is this? You still bring flowers. Add a ring, and you’re ready to propose on the spot,” she teased. This guy probably mistook old-fashioned for romantic charm.

Chu Qian was someone Du Bai had met a long time ago at the old “Peng House.” At that time, Du Bai had just narrowly escaped death in the army and couldn’t stay at home, so she went out for some fun and ran into Chu Qian. Both of them were excellent pool players, and neither of them would admit defeat to the other. Chu Qian, being someone who valued charm and ambiance, impulsively bought the “Peng House,” claiming it made for a more comfortable place to hang out and was convenient for their duels. Despite competing for years, they never determined a winner. However, because Chu Qian was the owner, Du Bai had the advantage and comfortably held the top spot at “Peng House.”

Zhao Ling, that brat, was Chu Qian’s best friend and naturally wouldn’t accept it. He challenged Du Bai every day but never won. At one point, Young Master Zhao ran away from home and was so broke that he once lost even his pants to Du Bai in a game, reluctantly becoming the second-best. Later, he found psychological balance through Chu Qian and began to feel that he wasn’t so unlucky after all.

The three of them became close friends, navigating through life and the pool hall together. They gradually got to know each other’s backgrounds. Chu Qian was a prodigy in the business world who, fed up with his father’s arrangements, left home to start a billiard club and live self-sufficiently. As for Zhao Ling, he came from a similar background, but with siblings below and above his rank and being another mouth to feed, he willingly hid his talents to lead an idle life and left home alongside Chu Qian. When the two learned that Du Ruo was a high-ranking official’s child, they looked terrified, worried that she’d take a liking to them and they’d end up being forced into marriage, unable to escape for life. It seemed the three of them shared a peculiar bond.

“Go ahead and laugh. When your grandpa comes, I can’t wait to see you get mocked,” Chu Qian said angrily.

“You already know? Why did you inform my grandpa? Are you tired of living?” Du Bai was genuinely panicked now, and she threw off the blanket to get out of bed, only to be pushed back by Chu Qian. “Don’t throw off the blanket. Do you think you’re Xishi? Think you can seduce me in a hospital gown? Your fiancé brought you here, and your grandpa calmed things down.”

Du Bai raised an eyebrow. “Young Master Chu, I’m so devoted to you. How could I secretly get a fiancé?”

Chu Qian was taken aback. “Wei Wen, don’t underestimate me just because I come from a humble background. He’s from a family like yours, and look how successful he is-a CEO of a startup. I honestly worry he’ll think you’re not good enough.” He teased Du Bai, noticing the glint in her narrowed eyes, and realized there would be trouble if he continued. Quickly changing the subject, “When you fainted, I was about to enjoy the moment of having someone warm and soft in my arms, but then Wei Wen came out of nowhere, shoved me aside, and rushed you to the hospital. That guy has quite the stamina. I drove and followed him, and he didn’t even stop for breath. If he’s not a fiancé, what is he?”

“Stop probing. You know my situation. My big brother arranged him, and I haven’t agreed yet. I want porridge; go get me some.” Du Bai kicked Chu Qian, lightly pulling at a wound, but maybe because the anesthesia hadn’t worn off, it was just a mild pain.

“Got it.” Chu Qian, hiding his playful grin, headed for the door, feeling a suppressed weight.

As he opened the door, a weak voice called out, full of sadness.

“Chu Qian.”

“Yeah.”

Sunlight poured through the window, casting shadows on their faces, and for a moment, everything seemed frozen as silence filled the air. Chu Qian felt an impulse to turn back.

“You know, you can just ask directly. When you beat around the bush like this, I might think you have a crush on me.”

Du Bai laughed to herself, while Chu Qian gritted his teeth, inwardly cursing himself for mistaking a pig for the beauty Diao Chan.

“Just wait, I’ll poison you,” he said, slamming the door angrily as he left.

Du Bai continued to laugh quietly, the tears streaming down her face. Thank you for not asking outright, for pretending nothing happened so I can catch my breath and continue to live as if nothing has.

Outside the door, Chu Qian tightly clenched the medical report in one hand, while the other repeatedly pounded the wall. Despite his handsome looks, the nurses around him were deterred by the harsh glint in his bloodshot eyes.

Du Bai, you won’t say it, and I won’t force you. But I will find out my way and protect you.

Du Bai knew Qin Yulong would come, but she didn’t expect him to arrive so quickly. She couldn’t deny she found some dark amusement in it, watching him be so anxious and uneasy. It must have been Chu Qian’s handiwork.

It seemed like the police were subtly or not-so-subtly targeting Qin Yulong. His subordinates were either injured or arrested. At this rate, if Du Bai didn’t take his life, his gang would drag him back for retribution.

“Hall Master Qin, what brings you here personally?” Du Bai said indifferently without looking up from her magazine, while Wei Qingqian glared at Qin Yulong from the side.

“Haha, Ms. Du, you jest,” Qin Yulong responded awkwardly, unsure whether to sit or stand as he rubbed his hands together. “I am here to sincerely apologize.”

Du Bai slightly raised her almond-shaped eyes and gave him a once-over, contemplating. “You can just call me Du Bai,” she said after a pause. “As for Hall Master Qin’s problems…” She purposely paused, savoring Qin Yulong’s flustered expression. “Young Master Chu has already put in a word. Since it’s his favor, I reckon no one would want to cross him, right?” Du Bai never intended to go after him anyways; it was better to owe herself and Chu Qian a favor, which might come in handy later.

“Ah, thank you, thank you, Du Bai. Haha, about my brothers-”

“The ones who were arrested were caught by Wei Wen. I have no relations with him. Wei Wen is his uncle, probably helping him vent out his frustration,” she said, pointing to Wei Qingqian standing beside her. Her words were water-tight, clearly setting her stance, and signaling that she and her small club had nothing to do with the matter.

Wei Qingqian gave Qin Yulong a cold glance and a snort, refusing to engage further, leaving him awkward and thinking that negotiating with this lot was more cumbersome than leading his brothers into a fight.

Seeing his clumsy demeanor made Du Bai nearly laugh out loud again, her mind scoffing-words come easily, but when push comes to shove, who can tell what’s real or not?

After seeing off Qin Yulong, Du Bai noticed Wei Qingqian angrily munching on an apple. She smiled knowingly; this kid wore his emotions on his sleeve. She nudged him and asked, “What’s up?”

“You just let him go like that?” Wei Qingqian’s indignant expression made Du Bai chuckle. After all, he still had a child’s temperament.

“Have I done something to make you think I’m a saint? Some things take time. When I get discharged, I’ll take you along to settle the score.” Du Bai’s half-closed almond eyes flashed with a mischievous light, her slightly upturned lips exuding a captivating charm that left people in awe.

Wei Qingqian’s eyes lit up. “Really? Tell me what you’re planning.” Seeing Du Bai extend her hand, he asked, somewhat puzzled, “What for?”

“Of course, I want money. Don’t think I don’t know; last time you bet on a dark horse with odds of 1:10 and bet fifty thousand, easily winning four hundred fifty thousand. I even put in one hundred thousand myself. I worked so hard; you can’t let me suffer a loss, can you?”

Even though Du Bai said it seriously, it still infuriated Wei Qingqian. “You greedy woman, is money all you think about?”

“I saved you twice, once your life and once your, uh, dignity. I even ended up in the hospital for it. Isn’t it enough that I didn’t ask you to marry me in gratitude? And now you’re stingy about a little money?” The Wei Family had protected Wei Qingqian so well that he still retained his innocence, making it easy to be around him.

“You, you-fine! I, Young Master Wei, will marry you as repayment today!” With that, he angrily jumped onto Du Bai’s hospital bed, and they began playfully wrestling.

When Wei Wen entered and saw this scene, he frowned, his expression darkening even more. “What are you two doing?”

Wei Wen also noticed the traces of blood on the bed and furrowed his brows. He forcibly instructed Wei Qingqian to go back and then leaned over to press the call button by the bedside.

Du Bai felt quite frustrated. Wei Qingqian had never listened to her, his lifesaver, like that. Just then, the door opened, and Chu Qian walked in, momentarily stunned by the scene. His eyes flickered with a suggestive look, darting between the two of them.

“Uh, I didn’t see anything. You can continue, continue,” he said, closing the door from the outside. Du Bai was left utterly confused. Could someone explain to her what was going on? Wei Wen’s warm breath brushed against her face, and it suddenly dawned on her. From the doorway’s angle, did it look like they were embracing? She was completely speechless-caught “in the act” twice in one day?

Wei Wen, however, gazed into Du Bai’s bright almond eyes. In that moment, a frozen memory cracked open, letting a warm current flow through. He gently touched the scar on her forehead, his previously stern face softening with an infinite tenderness-or perhaps an enigmatic gentleness.

Alright, and even a bit of sweetness.